Approval Ratings

When you're dating (or, for those married readers, when you were dating) whose opinions matter/mattered to you the most?

For me, it's definitely my older brothers. Always, when I'm in a date, I'm wondering how well the guy would get along with my brothers—they're 8 and 10 years older than I am and I looked up to them—and their friends—so much when I was growing up. (Which is funny, because, in a group, those guys were SO MUCH like the guys from "Knocked Up"—they even all lived in a house together that had a HOLE in the middle of the living room due to some mysterious accident that was not to be talked about) Once I became an independent adult, I was so excited to hang out with them and their group, but at that point, all those guys were getting married, having kids, and just moving into the next stage of their lives.

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Anyway, so, I'm going on date FIVE with the medievalist (but we're still not at that comfortable point where we can laugh about what happened last date night—and I still haven't put my coat rack back up because I'm a class A procrastinator . . .), and I just can't imagine him interacting well with the brothers. I think they'd kind of make fun of him—or, they wouldn't make fun of him, but they'd make fun of guys LIKE him. I don't know . . . as I described to a coworker, he's "adorkable." Meaning, he's super nice and super smart, but a little bit awkward and unassertive. And, generally, I like guys who are much more assertive, really know what they want, etc.

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Is it weird that I'm worried about this?

Also, I randomly ran into an acquaintance from high school the other night while I was in line for the ladies room at a party. After exchanging hugs and wow, this is random to see you!, I noticed a HUGE rock on her finger. I raised my eyebrow at it. "I'm marrying one of my brother's friends!" she squealed. "Honestly, it's the way to go."